Ohio State-Illinois
Saturday, Oct. 11
12:10 p.m. Eastern, 9:10 a.m. Pacific
Fox
The Big Ten has three really big games on Saturday. This game is third-best of the three, but it’s still hugely important. Ohio State started the season in the top three of the national rankings, and the Buckeyes are still there. They will face an Illinois team which has shown its best and worst sides in the first several weeks of the 2025 season. Illinois lost to Indiana by 53 points. It also beat USC on national television. One could reasonably ask — in summing up the key to this game — “Which Illinois team will show up?”
Ohio State-Illinois carries major Big Ten implications
Buckeyes set the standard, and the Illini will try to knock them off
Ohio State remains the team everyone else in college football wants to become — and knock off. The Buckeyes are defending national champions. They are unbeaten and at the top of the college football pyramid for yet another season. They are favored not only to make the Big Ten Championship Game, but also the College Football Playoff.
Because of Ohio State’s success and prominence, any team which can beat the Buckeyes will gain a big poker chip on its resume for the playoff. Illinois can transform its season — and its team profile — by taking down OSU in Week 7.
Illinois has a lot to gain from a win, but the Illini also have a lot to lose if they fail. Their loss to Indiana means that if they fall to OSU, they will have two losses with half of the season left to go. Illinois would need to run the table just to have a chance of making the playoff if it can’t beat Ohio State. It is reasonable to call this a must-win game for Illinois in terms of playoff chances.
Ohio State Buckeyes-Illinois Fighting Illini Odds
Hear TJ Rives and Jason Powers break down this game on the “3 Dog Thursday” Podcast by clicking Play below:
Spread: Ohio State -14.5 (-105), Illinois +14.5 (-115)
Total: 49.5 (Over -115, Under -105)
Underdog moneyline: Illinois +475
The Ohio State defense is playing amazing football. This group has been virtually impossible to crack in 2025. A word of caution is merited, however: Ohio State really hasn’t faced an elite offense to this point in time. Washington isn’t especially good on offense. Neither is Minnesota. Neither is Texas with a struggling Arch Manning. Everyone in college football is waiting to see if any opposing offense will throw the first punch against Ohio State and expose the Buckeyes’ defense to any degree.
Illinois beat USC by scoring 34 points. The Illini fumbled twice inside the USC 3-yard line in that game, so the Illini easily could have scored almost 50 points in that contest. Quarterback Luke Altmyer and the rest of the Illinois offense can be really tough when everything is flowing together, but maintaining that rhythm and continuity has proved to be elusive so far this season.
All in all, Ohio State should definitely win this game, but 14.5 is a lot of points for an Ohio State team which scored only 24 at Washington and does not have a complete, polished offense. Illinois should cover the spread if it can score at least 14 to 17 points, and we think that will happen. Illinois plus the points is a solid underdog play in Week 7.